Super Champ XD + Overdrive Pedal = Good/Not Good?

[srvwannab]

Okay, I've got SCXD hooked up to an extension cab and the sound really fills the room. Great warm tube tone, with some interesting voices and some not so interesting voices- the effects are decent too. I hope other owners don't take this thread the wrong way- I think most of us agree that XD is a big step in the right direction for modeling amps.

I have read a lot of threads that consider the "all-tube" question and, from what I can tell, the general concensus is that SCXD is a digital (solid state) front end with a genuine power tube section. And that the single 12AX7 is a phase inverter for the 2X 6v6 power tube section; thus, there is no tube preamp in the traditional sense.

Now I know SCXD takes effect pedals well- but we all know overdrive pedals work to boost the preamp signal, and if the boosted signal goes through the DSP? Does this mean that if you put a clean boost in front of SCXD that you will push the DSP chip as well and maybe even damage it?

I would really appreciate any thoughts, personal experiences with XD + OD, and especially expertise from those who know the technical jargon as to the manner in which SCXD will work (or not work) well with a clean boost/overdrive pedal.

My main concerns are:

1) Should a clean boost/overdrive pedal work as well on SCXD as it does on an "all tube amp" and what are the differences?

2) Is there any chance of burning up the DSP chip if the level on the clean boost is too high?

3) Any difference btwn channel 1 and channel 2 in these regards? Or is the clean channel on SCXD just another voiced channel from the DSP chip?

Thank you very much... I hope I can get your "opinions."

[CandyAppleHead]

I can't answer your technical questions but I do use a Bad Monkey with my SCXD on both channels, and it sounds pretty damn good!

[srvwannab]

Thanks, I tried a Bad Monkey on mine a while back too. The gain/drive did add some sparkle and dirt to the clean channel, and if I remember right I was able to use it with the voices if I sort of played with the amps gain and the pedals gain and level until it seemed to work best. It was sort of a compromise.

I also tried a Blues Breaker II- it has a gain channel and a clean "boost."

When I used the boost on SCXD on the clean channel it didn't seem to push the tubes into overdrive, it just made the amp louder really, and if I tried to boost the channel 2 voices didn't really seem right.

[Raytonium]

Everything you wanted to know about the SCXD:

FDP - Forum

[srvwannab]

Originally Posted by Raytonium

Everything you wanted to know about the SCXD:

FDP - Forum

Thanks Ray, that thread talks a good deal about the voicings, but it doesn't answer my questions about getting overdrive out of the tubes, or using an overdrive/boost pedal effectively without damaging the DSP.

[zag1]

I doubt if that set up (OD/Boost) would hurt the DSP anymore than using a pedal with an onboard "Drive" channel.

[Kid Klash]

I think you might be on to something.

I've noticed that when I play one of my Strats with vintage (low) output pickups through my SCXD, I'm happier with the amp modeling tones than I am with one of my guitars with high output pickups.

And on the flipside, I like the tone I get out of my Marshall JCM 900 2500 SL and '63 Tremolux when I slam the input with a high output pickup (typically an Dimarzio SDS-1 in the bridge position of my gigging Strats) for playing thick, ballsy hard rock licks than I do with a vintage pickup-equipped guitar. The vintage pups through the Marshall or Tremolux is great for blues, but doesn't have the thickness and gain I want for hard rock.

FWIW.

[Grounded]

Boss OD -1 works great on the clean channel.

[srvwannab]

Originally Posted by Kid Klash

I think you might be on to something.

I've noticed that when I play one of my Strats with vintage (low) output pickups through my SCXD, I'm happier with the amp modeling tones than I am with one of my guitars with high output pickups.

And on the flipside, I like the tone I get out of my Marshall JCM 900 2500 SL and '63 Tremolux when I slam the input with a high output pickup (typically an Dimarzio SDS-1 in the bridge position of my gigging Strats) for playing thick, ballsy hard rock licks than I do with a vintage pickup-equipped guitar. The vintage pups through the Marshall or Tremolux is great for blues, but doesn't have the thickness and gain I want for hard rock.

FWIW.

Now that you mention it, I just returned a Lonestar strat couple weeks ago- the Texas Specials sounded too muddy on my SCXD- I brought home a DLX Players strat with noiseless pups and they sound good on both channels.

Now that I think about it I had a Squier Standard running through my XD last year with cheap low output alnicos and they sounded better in some ways than the Texas Specials! But definitely not as good as the noiseless.

I haven't had a lot of time to play with this new guitar, but today I cranked the volume on channel 1 at various settings for about half an hour and it does sound better with these noiseless pups than anything else I've used.

The tone on channel 1 is nice and warm and not nearly as boomy as it used to be. I can't get much natural overdrive, but it still sounds good. I guess I'll have to try a drive pedal again and see how it goes.

[tjk3052]

I don't think the SCXD is setup for any tube clipping at all. It takes pedals great, but on ch1 you only get distortion that the pedal is making. Ch2's distortion comes digitally and is combined with any clipping from a pedal, but there really isn't that interaction you get between pedal and amp that an all tube amp has. I personally don't like the voices on ch2 so much, but I love the clean ch1, so I use a transparent dirt pedal (Barber LTD SR) with it and it sounds great.

[srvwannab]

Originally Posted by tjk3052

I don't think the SCXD is setup for any tube clipping at all. It takes pedals great, but on ch1 you only get distortion that the pedal is making. Ch2's distortion comes digitally and is combined with any clipping from a pedal, but there really isn't that interaction you get between pedal and amp that an all tube amp has. I personally don't like the voices on ch2 so much, but I love the clean ch1, so I use a transparent dirt pedal (Barber LTD SR) with it and it sounds great.

Thanks, I think you're right, but whenever I post this advise in other forums I get the ineviteble "it's a tube amp and you can use an overdrive pedal with it same as any other tube amp" and I'm left feeling stupid.

It seems to me you can use an ovedrive pedal to color the tone (same as any effect pedal) and warm it up a little, but you can't use it to push the tubes into overdrive because it lacks a preamp tube design. Please, if anybody thinks I'm wrong please explain why so a novice like me can get it.

[tjk3052]

Originally Posted by srvwannab

It seems to me you can use an ovedrive pedal to color the tone (same as any effect pedal) and warm it up a little, but you can't use it to push the tubes into overdrive because it lacks a preamp tube design. Please, if anybody thinks I'm wrong please explain why so a novice like me can get it.

Thats right, except of course most overdrive pedals add clipping of their own. I've put a clean boost in front of it and it and it didn't really do anything on ch1. It does break up at high volume, but I think that's a combination of speaker and some solid state clipping. Doesn't sound good at all IMHO.

I would compare the SCXD to having something digital (like a POD) going into a tube powered PA system. The tubes are set so cold as to never clip. I'm not putting it down by saying that, I think it's a great sounding amp, but it doesn't really behave like a tube amp when pushed.

[srvwannab]

Originally Posted by tjk3052

Thats right, except of course most overdrive pedals add clipping of their own. I've put a clean boost in front of it and it and it didn't really do anything on ch1. It does break up at high volume, but I think that's a combination of speaker and some solid state clipping. Doesn't sound good at all IMHO.

I would compare the SCXD to having something digital (like a POD) going into a tube powered PA system. The tubes are set so cold as to never clip. I'm not putting it down by saying that, I think it's a great sounding amp, but it doesn't really behave like a tube amp when pushed.

I read somewhere that bias pot is set cold and even when you set it hotter it doesn't do much to change the tone. But ya, it's still a great sounding amp.

Thanks for the straight forward posts everybody!

[Roadstar07]

I play a bunch of different ODs w/ my SCXD. Usually leave the amp on channel #2, voicing #4 (blackface) and dab in a little reverb fx. all other knobs set at 12:00. with the voodoo lab sparkle drive i can't ask for a better tube OD tone. very pleased. With my bad monkey, i need to fiddle a bit to get a tone I like, but in general, SCXD sounds as good as any decent tube amp i ever played. to my ear, it's a friggin tube amp.